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This multi-tiered interactive installation provides a variety of activities and behind-the-scenes expert insight to reveal how this unusual Los Angeles native was discovered, understood, and exhibited.

The fossils of an unusual mammal were discovered in Southern California, and this interactive tells the story of the detective work done by scientists to interpret the findings. The paleoparadoxiid, now-extinct, was a four-legged mammal with eyes positioned near the top of its head, not unlike a hippopotamus. The two interactive touch screens located directly in front of the specimen contain various activities that bring the animal back to life. One activity demonstrates the process of fossil examination where visitors uncover bones from a fossil matrix with the aid of an airscribe and learn more about each bone. Another activity allows visitors to examine fossils in-depth and learn more about the details of a recently discovered specimen. In a final activity, visitors simulate the delicate preparation of the fossil specimen for display in the museum. The interactive allows them to select a fossil from a bin and challenges them to correctly identify where it belongs on the specimen. Woven throughout the experience are interviews with the paleontologists who uncovered, analyzed, and studied the specimen. While not widely known, this strange beast is poised to gain popularity and capture the attention of both young and old visitors.

Press & Awards

The creative team at Second Story developed interactive touch-screen experiences for visitors to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, US. Narrative and engagement were at the centre of the design to engage visitors with the exhibits.

AIGA | 365 | Design Effectiveness 2011, Award Recipient, October 2011

The 135 selections from the “365 | Design Effectiveness 2011” competition exemplify the most effective current work in communication design, as chosen by a distinguished jury of design peers. The overriding criterion for inclusion in the show is excellence as the successful pairing of effectiveness and aesthetics.

23rd Annual Excellence in Exhibition Competition, American Association of Museums, Special Achievement in Clarity of Message, May 2011

“Cenozoic L. A. Stories,”Science, Debra Pires, October 2010

Interactive kiosks included in each major section of the exhibition allow visitors to examine change in habitats over time, explore relationships among different groups of mammals, learn more about the morphology and behavior of the animals, and quiz themselves about mammalian biology. The displays and interactive media seem quite effective at conveying information. Even those who have never had a course in evolution will probably find the phylogenetic tree of mammals easy to understand. As an educator, I was encouraged by watching children between the ages of 6 and 12 work on a topic at a touch screen until they had figured out.